US Congressman Ro Khanna Detained by Armed Settlers in West Bank

Khanna recounted the encounter during a visit to Khirbet Zanuta, a village where infrastructure, including a school, had been destroyed. According to the congressman, the settlers blocked the road and summoned the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to manage the situation. "The IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans," Khanna stated, noting the military's presence during the ordeal. His aide, Cameron Kasky, confirmed the group was detained for more than 60 minutes before local law enforcement arrived to secure their release. The IDF later reported that troops and police dispersed the individuals responsible for the roadblock.

This incident follows a separate violent confrontation involving journalists north of Ramallah, where settlers used wooden clubs and metal rods to attack vehicles carrying members of a CNN crew. While Israeli authorities arrested four suspects in that instance, claiming to treat such violence with severity, the frequency of these encounters remains a point of contention. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently dismissed concerns over widespread settler aggression, characterizing the perpetrators as a small group of "juvenile delinquents," a stance that contrasts with persistent witness reports of IDF soldiers failing to intervene or actively assisting in settler attacks against Palestinians.